Japan Prepares To Welcome Third Major Int'l Airport

After 18 years of planning and three years of construction off the coast of central Japan, a new international airport being touted as an international hub and major gateway to the country is in its last leg of completion. Airlines using the airport and the domestic and international routes they will serve are expected to be determined by officials early next year.

Central Japan International Airport, to be commonly called Centrair, will open in early 2005 and is being built on a manmade island approximately one mile offshore from Tokoname City, which is roughly 21 miles south of the central city of Nagoya. With an estimated construction cost of US$6.5 billion, it is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Japan. As Japan's third-largest international airport, Centrair will open with a single 11,500-ft. runway on a 1,250-acre island and is expected to handle 12 million passengers annually. Future expansion calls for two 13,000-ft. runways on more than 2,200 acres.

As its name implies, Central Japan International Airport will be located close to the industrial and technological heart of Japan. The region, whose largest city is Nagoya, is home to many of Japan's leading manufacturers, most notably the automobile industry, and the airport is expected to handle a significant volume of business travelers and commercial cargo. Centrair will be connected to the mainland by express trains and expressways, with bullet trains connecting it to other cities throughout the country. According to analysts, travel demand to the region has been on the rise and is forecast to grow significantly during the next 10 years.

Nagoya, with its population of more than 2.15 million, is one of Japan's major cities and an important industrial and cultural center. Nagoya Airport long has served as a gateway to the central region and, against a background of rapid globalization of the region's economy, the number of passengers traveling to and from the airport drastically is increasing. As a result, it is expected that Nagoya Airport's facilities, such as its runway and terminal buildings will reach their maximum capacity within the next several years. Since the airport is located in a growing residential area, it is extremely difficult to further expand the airport facilities, and extension of operating hours into midnight and early morning also is a problem. Furthermore, the present 9,000-ft. runway is not sufficient to fly large-size jet aircraft to such far destinations as the U.S. East Coast.

Centrair, on the other hand, will be a major offshore international airport operating 24 hours a day that will offer airlines the flexibility to schedule arrivals and departures without any time restrictions. As a result, schedules can be adjusted freely to allow passengers to choose from more international long-haul flights, offering more convenient departure and arrival times for individual itineraries.

Centrair's extended runways will enable large transoceanic aircraft to fly directly between the eastern seaboard of the United States, southern Europe and North Africa. Aircraft flying long-haul flights require a runway that is at least 11,000 feet long for takeoffs and landings.

Flights will be available to a wide range of domestic and international destinations. All Nippon Airways has been working with airport officials to develop Centrair as an international hub for the carrier's short-haul Asian routes. ANA officials said the airline intends to operate daily scheduled service to both Seoul (Incheon) and Shanghai and also is considering opening routes to other parts of Asia, particularly China.

To ensure that Centrair is used by a large selection of airlines, the airport will offer services not only from the airlines already serving Nagoya Airport, but also from new airlines and air freight shippers.

In the passenger terminal building of Centrair, shops and restaurants will surround a Center Plaza where events will be held, and an observation deck will provide visitors with panoramic views of sunsets over Ise Bay, as well as all aircraft operations.

Centrair is the second airport to be built offshore. Japan's Kansai International Airport stands on an entirely manmade island in Osaka Bay, three miles off the coast. The $14 billion airport, which opened in 1994, was one of the world's most ambitious engineering projects, requiring the creation of an island by piling sand, earth and rock onto the sea bed.